


Under Duress

by Chrystie, kate882



Category: DCU (Comics), Nightwing (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics)
Genre: Jason was never robin au, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-15
Updated: 2020-10-15
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:15:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27028687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chrystie/pseuds/Chrystie, https://archiveofourown.org/users/kate882/pseuds/kate882
Summary: "It wasn’t that Jason trusted Nightwing. But there wasn’t anyone in town who he trusted more than Nightwing either.So, it was with heavy resignation that he shifted enough he could pull his spare phone out of his boot, ignoring the knife there for the moment, blindly typing in the number he’d memorized months ago but never used, behind his back where the criminals couldn’t see and sent his location, slipping the phone back into his boot after."Or: Jason gets in a sticky situation and has to out himself to Nightwing, and the complications don't end there.
Relationships: Dick Grayson/Jason Todd
Comments: 17
Kudos: 352





	Under Duress

**Author's Note:**

> I forgot we had this in our WIP folder, so here you guys go! Despite how long ago our last update in this fandom was, we are still alive. -Kate

“Birdy, great timing, I think I found some of your friends,” Red Hood called up to him from the alleyway where he had three armed men trying to surround him. 

“Can’t really say my taste in friends is that bad,” Dick said as he flipped down, landing on top of one of the men. “I consider you a friend sometimes, after all.”

“Ah but they came to me looking for you,” Red informed him as he kicked the one on his left firmly in the chest. The cracking sound made it unlikely that he was getting back up, but hitting his head on the ground secured that risk, leaving only one standing. 

“Maybe they were looking for another Nightwing, I hear it’s a pretty common name.”

“Yeah, I’m sure that must be it.” Dick could just hear the eyeroll in Red Hood’s voice as the other man stole one of his escrima sticks and took out the last of the men. “You need to get a phone. I’m not your criminal secretary.” 

“I have one, all you had to do was ask.” Dick pulled out a pen and paper and quickly scribbled down the number for his hero phone. “Don’t be shy to call anytime.”

There was a pause as Red Hood probably stared at him from behind the mask. “I can’t believe you actually have a Nightwing phone. You know this doesn’t fix me being your criminal secretary if you give it to  _ me _ , right?” 

“But you’re already so good at it,” Dick took his hand and shoved the paper into it, “besides we’ve been half working together for like four months, I think it’s safe to give you my number.”

“... I hope you’re not expecting me to return the favor,” Red said, but he did still reluctantly shove the paper into one of his pockets. “I get the distinct impression you’d blow up my phone 24/7.” 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Dick would, in fact, do just that.

“I’m sure you don’t,” was the sarcastic response he got. “You can deal with these guys though since they’re your friends,” Red told him, handing back Dick’s escrima stick before heading out, presumably to finish his own patrol. 

* * *

Jason was… not thrilled. 

Of all the stupid fucking things. A hostage situation. Where he was one of the hostages. He had half a mind to just end this whole thing himself since the police certainly weren’t doing a good job of it, but that would draw far more attention to Jason Todd than he wanted if he started dealing out Red Hood moves in civies. 

He could just wait it out, except the building was kind of surrounded because one of the clerks had managed to press the alarm button before they’d all been tied up, and it seemed to be dawning on the wannabe bank robbers that they probably weren’t getting out of this.

It wasn’t that Jason trusted Nightwing. But there wasn’t anyone in town who he trusted more than Nightwing either. 

So, it was with heavy resignation that he shifted enough he could pull his spare phone out of his boot, ignoring the knife there for the moment, blindly typing in the number he’d memorized months ago but never used, behind his back where the criminals couldn’t see and sent his location, slipping the phone back into his boot after. 

Jason was fully prepared to just sit there and wait for Nightwing to hopefully show up, or take things into his own hands if the talk of disposing of the hostages became more than just talk before Nightwing could arrive. Assuming that he was even coming. 

That plan didn’t go as smoothly as he wanted though when the kid of one of the other hostages started making noise and one of the criminals looked like they were about to get aggressive about it. 

Jason sighed before he spoke up loudly and obnoxiously, “I can’t believe you assholes actually thought this would work, I mean really did you think it was going to be easy? You didn’t even wear masks, you fucking idio-” he was cut off by a punch to the jaw, rolling with it before giving the criminal a bloody grin. “That all you got?” At least he was distracted from the kid.

* * *

While Dick was surprised that Hood finally texted him after months of giving him his number, and it had to be Hood, there wasn’t anyone else with an unknown number that had his, he wasn’t surprised that it would just be a location. It was nice to know that he trusted him enough to want him to be the one to help him out of what Dick could only assume was a tough situation.

When Dick got to the bank though, there were a good amount of police but Hood was nowhere in sight. At least that’s what it looked like. Dick prided himself on being a detective and it didn’t take one to realize Hood was one of the hostages and it really wasn’t hard to pick out which one when there was only one built like Hood. It didn’t help that he managed to put himself in a position to get punched in the face.

It would figure that despite the blood, Hood was also really attractive.

Dick made quick work of the robbers. Leaning more on stealth this time around to take them out one by one until it was just the few in the middle still waving around their guns and coincidentally closest to Hood.

Dick threw an escrima stick at one of their heads, knocking him out, and just as quickly incapacitated the other two. “Need a hand, tough guy?” Dick grinned at Hood.

“I think I can manage.” It might not be modulated the way it was under the helmet but, Dick definitely knew that tone of voice, and there was the eyeroll he always knew came with it. “Restrain the criminals while I help untie the hostages,” he added, flashing his own freed hands.

Slick and bossy, that was definitely Hood. “Aye aye, captain.”

Hood shot him an uncomfortable look when a mother hugged him for some reason, clearly holding on for longer than he’d planned as the police started to enter the bank, meaning he wasn’t going to be able to slip out with Dick as Dick made his own get away.

* * *

Jason was not surprised to find himself face to face with Nightwing when the vigilante dropped down in front of him. 

He’d been forced to let an EMT look him over, pulled out one of his fake IDs to give his statement, and managed to slip away before he could be forced into any pictures. Especially after the mother of that child started going on about how he’d put himself in danger for her child. 

“You checking up on all the hostages?” He asked, raising a brow. 

“Only the interesting ones. Word on the street is you’re a hero.”

Jason groaned, running a frustrated hand through his hair. “Word on the street should just be I was being obnoxious and got punched for it.” 

“To protect a kid. Pretty heroic of you, if I do say so myself.”

“Or maybe that was just a happy coincidence,” Jason waved him off, glancing around to make sure no one was there to witness this interaction happening. 

“Relax, there’s no one around. Besides that’s not the only reason I wanted to chat. Y’know, I found out about that robbery from a text from another hero that I expected to be there, you didn’t happen to see him did you?”

Jason gave him an incredulous look at the word “relax”. Nightwing should really know by now that wasn’t in his wheelhouse. Still, he played along after ascertaining for himself that no one was nearby (yet). “Hmmm, y’know, can’t say that I did. Here I was thinking you were just doing your heroic duty. Should I have been on the lookout for Superman or something?” 

“I was thinking someone a little more red. Ring any bells?”

“He has a whole red cape,” Jason pointed out, tapping his chin in thought. “Well the only other person with red in the area that comes to mind is Red Hood, though that’s really debatable on if he’s a hero. Don’t you watch the news?” 

“I like to think he’s a hero. Can’t let anger issues define someone.” Nightwing was clearly having fun at his expense.

“Uh huh. You need something, birdy?” 

“What? We can’t be friends?”

“Not in these outfits, I don’t think,” Jason gestured at Nightwing’s bird symbol and then at his plain shirt. “We don’t match at all.” 

“Which means you just admitted we’re friends under normal circumstances.”

“You know, I do not think those words came out of my mouth,” Jason mused. “I mean, I’m sure within the end of the week you’ll know my name, but as it stands we do not even know each other's names. Think that’s something friends usually do.” 

“C’mon, we live in the age of the internet, no one really knows anyone by their real names anymore. Besides, knowing you, I’m going to find at least four different names.”

“Oh, no, you’re underestimating me. I have five IDs in my wallet right now.” Jason pulled out his wallet and tossed it to Nightwing. 

Nightwing flipped through all of them with varying degrees of shock, most of which was barely any. “I’ve told you before that you’re paranoid, right? Because I’m happy to tell you again.”

“Don’t worry, those ones will be gone since I let you look at them, so you can count them out of your search,” Jason told him, holding out his hand for his wallet. 

Nightwing tossed it back to him but not before also taking a peek at his cards. “You have a Costco membership?”

Jason shrugged, checking his wallet to make sure everything was still there before pocketing it. “I have several safe houses I have to stock. Buying in bulk makes sense. You might be the only person who has any idea the amount of first aid supplies I go through.” 

“I guess that makes sense.” It didn’t sound like it was something Nightwing really did given his tone. 

“What?” Jason placed a hand on his hip and raised an eyebrow. “Did you just imagine I got everything I needed out of some black market grocery store?” 

“No…. maybe.”

Jason really couldn’t help laughing at that. “So sorry to disappoint on the bad boy image.” 

“Tarnished forever. And you were looking so bad ass with your bruised chin too.”

Jason rubbed at the bruise on his face absently. “Does the broken rib help restore it? The EMT wasn’t happy to hear that it was a separate issue” 

“I think that just makes you look reckless out of costume.” 

“I don’t think you have a lot of room to talk.” 

Nightwing just shrugged with a grin plastered over his face.

Jason rolled his eyes and glanced around again, but the coast still seemed clear for the moment. “So did you actually need something birdy, or were you just planning to make fun of me?” 

“Just make fun of you. Not often you make it easy.”

“See if I ever text you again. Apparently all I get for it is being mocked out in the open out of costume.” 

“And you made a friend. Not all bad. For me that is.”

“I don’t think I’m any friendlier with you than I was before today.” 

“We’re friends! No take backsies!” Nightwing shot a line out to swing away before Jason could do just that.

* * *

Finding information on Hood was not easy, even with his face. After about a week, Dick has narrowed it down to two possible actual names: Jason Todd and Peter Stevens, both of whom were legally dead. Dick couldn’t say he was surprised about that either, but that really emphasized his point about the paranoia.

Finding any current information on two possible dead guys was even harder. Dick seriously considered just trying to find him through street camera footage before classifying that as too close to stalking.

It would figure that he’d just bump into him randomly while he was out for coffee. A little too literally, spilling coffee all over his own shirt.

“Oh shit,” Hood lept back enough to avoid most of the coffee himself, “you alright?” 

“Yeah, sorry I-“ Dick cut himself off at the sight of who he was talking to. “I-uh-I um. Sorry.”

Hood looked him up and down, eyes mostly focusing on the coffee stain on Dick’s shirt. “I’m not sure you really need to be apologizing to me when you’re the one covered in your own coffee. At least it was cold.” 

“I mean it’ll only stain. I didn’t love this shirt anyway.”

“... I see,” Hood frowned at him, but then turned when the barista called out, “Iced mocha for J.” 

“Uh, here. I feel like this is at least a little my fault,” Hood pulled out his wallet and handed Dick a five dollar bill before turning and walking to the counter to retrieve his drink. 

Dick supposed he had an idea of which name was more likely real. He chased after him just to push the money back into his hand. “It’s fine, really.”

(Probably) Jason looked surprised, but didn’t fight him on it. “Your loss, man.”

“It was my bad, really.” Dick ended up letting him go, still feeling dumbfounded that he really just stumbled upon him.

* * *

“Ah, bad plan,” Jason gripped Nightwing by the shoulders and spun him around so he wasn’t facing the warehouse Jason had just emerged from, then grabbed his arm and dragged him with him as he ran a safe distance away before the place blew. 

“You know you don’t have to blow places up.” Nightwing didn’t sound all that surprised or even upset though. 

Jason shrugged. “It was a very effective way to take care of all the Black Mask supplies in there.” 

“But a very noticeable way. They’ll be on your ass within the hour.”

“I’m counting on it,” Jason smirked behind the helmet. “So you can head out,” he added with a shoo’ing motion. 

“But that’s no fun! Is that any way to treat your new buddy?” Nightwing looked like he was trying to pout at him.

“You don’t like my Black Mask fights,” Jason reminded him.

“Not generally, no.” That didn’t seem to be enough reason for Nightwing to leave though.

“So you should probably go,” he repeated the shoo’ing motion. 

“But what if this is the one I’ll enjoy? You’d never know.”

“Nightwing, you’re going to get in my way, and I’m not above incapacitating you just because you helped me out.” 

“Since when have I ever been in your way that wasn’t on purpose?”

Jason narrowed his eyes. “I’m expecting it to be on purpose.” 

Nightwing’s grin was anything but innocent. “What? Me? No!”

“Uh huh,” Jason intoned disbelievingly, hand drifting towards his stun gun. Which he’d only even started carrying because of Nightwing when he decided he didn’t actually want to kill him when they fought. 

“That’s no way to treat someone who saved your cute butt.” Nightwing pointed at the stun gun.

“I kept you from getting blown up. We’re even. And I’m telling you to leave; I don’t actually really want to fight you tonight, I have more important things to be doing.” 

“But I can be helpful! And I wouldn’t get in your way if there wasn’t a reason to.”

“And I’m telling you there would be a reason to for you, so go.” 

“Really?” Nightwing got up close and personal, “Do tell.”

Jason tensed before shoving Nightwing back, grabbing the stun gun now. “Nightwing. Don’t make me fight you.” 

Nightwing held his hands up, he clearly didn’t want to fight either. But he was unfortunately as stubborn as Jason was. “I’m not making you do anything.”

Jason glared, grabbing a fistfull of Nightwing’s uniform, shaking him by the stupid bird logo, ignoring the electricity the suit gave off at the hostile touch. It barely hurt through his gloves anyway. When Nightwing’s hands stayed up though Jason sighed and let him go, shaking out his hand as he started to storm off. He really missed the days when Nightwing could drop dead without him caring. 

Nightwing gave him all of ten minutes before tracking him down again. “You know, I do actually like seeing you. I’m never actually looking to ruin your plans.”

Jason considered shoving his helmet back on, but Nightwing had already seen his face without the helmet or the mask, so he just blew smoke in Nightwing’s direction. “Yeah, that’s definitely the vibe that I just got from you,” he said sarcastically. 

“In my defence when I went looking for you, it was to just help and hang out a little.”

“You caught me hoping that Black Mask himself is going to attempt to murder me as the rumors are suggesting and ruined the perfectly good target I put on myself.” 

Nightwing just stared at him, dumbfounded. “You’re really something, you know that?”

“Well I wasn’t going to  _ let him _ ,” Jason grumbled, flicking some ash off the edge of the roof. “Which is why you couldn’t be there. You’d get in the way of me taking him out first.” 

“You already know what I’m going to say.”

“Yes, which is why I left. And yet here you are,” Jason lazily gestured towards him. 

“Because I’m your friend.”

“So you keep insisting,” Jason muttered. 

“You really don’t think of us like that?” The frown Nightwing had really showed he was genuinely sad about the prospect.

Jason heaved a sigh and tipped his head back to look up at the sky instead of at Nightwing. “Friendship can be dangerous. Or a weakness. If we weren’t friends I could have taken you out and gone through with my plans. And I probably wouldn’t be carrying this,” he added the last part, tapping the stun gun. 

Nightwing’s grin was blinding and he looked like he was physically restraining himself from actually hugging Jason. “Friendship can also be an advantage. There’s always strength in numbers.”

Jason tilted his head so he could see Nightwing to aim an unimpressed look at him before looking back up towards the sky. “In my experience it tends to go the weakness way of things more often than not.” 

“That’s because you’re a negative Nancy.”

Jason managed to laugh a little. “What are you, a sixty year old grandmother? Who calls people that?” 

“Your good ol’ pal Nightwing does, Nancy.”

“You know, I think that’s one name I haven’t tried.” 

“You don’t say, well feel free to use it.”

“Oh well as long as I have Nightwing’s permission,” he said sarcastically, dramatic hand to his heart and everything, as he put out the cigarette in the other one. 

“I accept royalty payments in form of food.”

Jason considered that for a moment. “Yeah, alright, I could go for something to eat. Hold onto this,” he tossed his helmet to Nightwing, zipping up his jacket and peeling off his mask. “And be careful with it,” he added, giving him a firm look, “it might kill you if you mess with it.” He slipped off his belt with the obvious weapons attached to it, this time not throwing them but just setting them down.

And with a quick look around to make sure no one would see he offered Nightwing a two finger salute and dropped off the edge of the rooftop, his grapple shooting out and saving him from a harsh landing. 

* * *

After twenty minutes of dangling his legs over the building with Hood’s helmet in his lap, Dick had to wonder if he was actually going to come back even if he did leave all his stuff with Dick

His worries were pretty quickly gone when he heard the sound of someone climbing the fire escape. Hood was managing to do it without dropping the food too.

Jason seemed to survey him- well mostly his stuff once he assessed Dick to be in one piece “ah good you’re not blown up”- before sitting down near him, placing the food between them and putting his mask back on. 

“I didn’t go through your stuff, if that’s what you’re worried about. I do think you’re being too extra with this bomb you call a helmet.”

“Says the guy who’s suit tried to electrocute me earlier for touching it wrong.” 

“Did it? I didn’t feel a thing,” Dick grinned at him. He preferred to think that his suit was reasonable since it didn’t hurt him in any way.

“Maybe I won’t actually share this with you,” Jason mused, pulling the food closer to himself. 

“Noooo! I protected your stuff in anticipation!”

He could see Jason pretending to think it over, even with the mask on, before Jason relented, starting to unpack what appeared to be Indian food. “I don’t know what you like so I just doubled up on some of my orders.” 

“I like pretty much anything and everything, I’m not picky.” To prove his point he just picked the bowl closest to him and while he wasn’t too sure what it was exactly, it still tasted great all the same.

“Should have expected you’d be easy to please.” 

“You make it sound like it’s a bad thing.”

“Nah,” Jason waved him off, “means I didn’t waste money on this stuff.” 

“Money well spent. Very generous of you, Jay.”

Jason had been in the middle of taking a sip of his drink and promptly choked on it, the last confirmation he really needed. “How long did that take you,” he managed to cough out. 

“Too long. I was only half sure too, so thanks for confirming.”

“Always happy to help,” he gulped down some more of his drink, clearing his throat before speaking again, “you did that on purpose.” 

“A little,” Dick grinned. He hadn’t fully expected that to work either. Jason was a lot more open without a helmet to cover for him it would seem. 

“Dick,” Jason rolled his eyes, shoving Dick’s shoulder. 

Dick luckily didn’t spit out his food but it was a near thing. “I try.”

“Uh huh. The thanks I get for buying you food.” 

“How about instead of thanks, it’ll just be my treat next time.”

“That can work I guess.”

* * *

Dick wasn’t trying to increase his odds of seeing Jason, per se, he just liked the coffee at that coffee shop enough to just start making it part of his regular routine regardless of whether or not it was a little further than his previous coffee shop. Whether or not he was aiming for it, he did manage to run into Jason again, not that he even really knew what to say or even how to talk to him.

Jason did seem to remember him, though considering how their last meeting as Jason and Dick had gone that might not be for the best. “Oh hey, you’re not wearing your coffee today.” 

“Yeah,” Dick laughed, “I think it’s a better look for me.” He didn’t think he’d ever get over how handsome Jason actually was.

“Can’t disagree,” judging by the way Jason was looking at him Dick got the feeling it was mutual. 

Dick had never been shy, he knew how he looked and how people looked at him, but with the way Jason was looking at him, knowing he was Red Hood, and was actively flirting with him, Dick felt his face heat up and he couldn’t believe how flustered he got. “I- well- uh- thanks?”

There was a flicker of something in Jason’s eyes, so quick Dick almost missed it and too quick to identify, before Jason was smiling at him. “Not to be too forward on our second meeting, but would you want to grab a drink with me sometime?” 

The smart and responsible thing would’ve been to say no. Jason still didn’t know who Dick was, after all and it would be a betrayal of his trust when they were finally starting develop some kind of friendship. And yet he still found himself blurting out, “yeah, that sounds great.”

“Great,” Jason reached around him, putting their faces much closer than normal between virtual strangers, before pulling back, holding a napkin he’d retrieved, and jotting down his number with a pen he’d fished out of his pocket. A different number than the one that had texted Nightwing, Dick noted, signing it as Jason. “Text me when you’re free, I’ve gotta head out,” he offered up an easy smile as he handed the number over to Dick. 

Dick ended up staring at the napkin for a much longer time than probably appropriate after getting home until finally, after many hours, he texted Jason. He didn’t manage to get the uneasy feeling of guilt out of his system for the rest of the day, especially after he got a text back with a time for later that week and an address for a bar near the coffee shop. 

* * *

“Hey birdy, need some help,” Jason called down to Dick, who was a bit preoccupied with the group of men trying to corner him in an alleyway with some very sharp looking knives. 

“Only if you’re offering.” Dick could deal with knives, but he liked company, even if he felt a little uneasy seeing Jason at the moment.

“Hmmm,” Jason mused, playing at considering right up until one of the men took aim, and suddenly found one of the Red Hood’s knives in his shoulder as Jason hopped down, caging the men between himself and Dick. “I guess I can lend a hand.” 

“It’s always appreciated.”

Within a few minutes all of the men were taken down, and Dick had alerted the authorities to their location. 

He and Jason stuck around for long enough to hear sirens and then bailed before they could get caught up with the police. 

“So Nightwing, I’ve got a question for you,” Jason said after they stopped on a rooftop a safe distance away. 

“What kind of question?”

“You seem like you date a lot, right?” 

Dick felt his heart stop. “Uh, I wouldn’t say so, but I guess I’ve got a decent amount of experience.”

“Really? Huh, you seem like you would.” Jason shrugged. “Oh well, just wondering cause I’ve got a date with this guy I met at a coffee shop coming up tomorrow.” 

The guilt Dick has been feeling hadn’t actually gone away at any point since he’d agreed to go on the date, but Jason actually telling him about it made him feel even worse. “Really? Uh, I didn't think you’d ever be comfortable telling me about your personal life.”

“Well I mean, you already know who I am,” he shrugged again. His tone was casual, but he was usually pretty decent at managing that. The stupid helmet was the real deterent to picking up his motives for suddenly opening up, although he’d become pretty aware of Hood’s body langue cues before he’d ever seen Jason without the helmet, and right now it was open and relaxed. So it probably wasn’t supposed to be a passive aggressive statement. “I trust you enough to tell you some things at least.” 

“Y-you do?” Dick was being punished for this and Jason didn’t even realize it.

Jason nodded. “Obviously. I did text you when I needed help unmasked after all. Couldn’t think of anyone else for the job.” 

“Right, well-uh- what did you want to ask?”

“Mostly if you had experience. I’m just not sure how to balance the whole secret identity thing, y’know. I mean, I wouldn’t wanna keep it from him  _ forever _ .” Did that sound pointed or was Dick being paranoid? 

“I-well- forever would probably be a bad idea but uh you’re pretty guarded about yourself, right? So it’s understandable if you keep it secret for a bit, right?” Was it hot out or was Dick the only one sweating?

“Well yeah, I mean I’m not gonna drop that info on the first date or anything, but if things work out I can’t go too long, right? I hear relationships built on lies don’t work so well.” 

“Right, and… and,” Dick really couldn’t take it anymore. The guilt was eating at him too much. “And your dates with me,” Dick couldn’t look at Jason, he didn’t want to know how badly Jason thought he fucked up. “I’m sorry, I was going to tell you! I swear!”

There was a pause where Dick thought he might just spontaneously combust and then…. Laughing? Jason was laughing at him, loud and open, before he finally managed an “I know,” through the laughs. 

“You what?” He didn’t think he heard that right.

“You’re not subtle.” Jason took off the helmet, and yeah he was definitely laughing at Dick. “And I’ve spent enough time around Nightwing to recognize him when he nearly dumps his coffee on me.” 

“And you didn’t say anything?” Dick sputtered.

“Nope. I wasn’t even sure if you’d figured out my name yet our first meeting, and I also thought this would be way more interesting.” 

“So asking me out was just part of all of this?” Dick wasn’t pouting, he was just slightly upset.

Jason tilted his head slightly. “Hmm, yes and no. Not in the way you’re thinking, cause I would have done it anyway for real once I knew who you were if you’d told me. But since you didn’t, two birds one stone and all that.” 

“You-you would have?”

“You think I’m the kind of asshole that would ask you out  _ just  _ to fuck with you?” 

“Maybe?” Dick really thought about it though and decided, “no, I guess not. So, we still on for that drink?”

“I’ll pick you up at eight,” Jason confirmed.


End file.
